Future So Bright
by Emeraldax
Summary: Permanently unfinished. This is a crossover of all the ABC soaps. It is set 20 years in the future – begins New Years 2022. Main characters are kids from Port Charles, Pine Valley and Llanview, all grown up.
1. Cast List

Future So Bright  
  
This is a crossover of all the ABC soaps. It is set 20 years in the future – begins New Years 2022. Main characters are kids from Port Charles, Pine Valley and Llanview, all grown up. Listed below are the actors and actresses I have "cast" in the roles. If you would like to see photos of them, refer to the Pictures section on my new website:  
  
http://communities.msn.com/ABCSoapFanfiction  
  
General Hospital/Port Charles:  
  
Maxie Jones - Helen Hunt  
  
  
  
  
  
Lucas Jones – Charlie Sheen  
  
Georgie Jones – Cameron Diaz  
  
Serena Baldwin – Reese Witherspoon  
  
Mic Corinthos – Hugh Jackman  
  
CC (Christina) Collins – Julia Roberts  
  
Brook Ashton – Courtney Cox  
  
Lu Spencer – Debra Messing  
  
Jadzia Cassadine – Aaliyah (Nikolas and Gia's child, born in 2002)  
  
Jet Jacks – Jet Li (Jax and Skye adopt a 5 yr old Chinese boy in 2002)  
  
All My Children:  
  
Lorenzo Santos – Dean Cain  
  
Colby Chandler – Gwyneth Paltrow  
  
Jamie "James" Martin - Colin Firth  
  
Sam Grey – Ewan MacGregor  
  
Maddie Grey – Jill Hennessy  
  
Pete Cortlandt – Brendan Fraser  
  
One Life To Live:  
  
Starr Manning – Jennifer Garner  
  
Matt Rappaport – Keanu Reeves  
  
River Carpenter – Rupert Everett  
  
Jack Manning – Heath Ledger 


	2. Introduction

Chapter 1  
  
Pine Valley  
  
At the annual Crystal Ball in Pine Valley, the year 2022 started off with a bang. Literally. The evening began innocently enough. To get the mood going, Hank Pelham sang a jazz medley, accompanied on the piano by his stepson, Pete Cortlandt. CC Collins was pleased by the rousing start to the evening. She saw Lu Spencer approaching her out of the corner of her eye. The two women hugged. "CC, that was great! I love Hank Pelham, I have all his digitals. How did you ever get him to play here?" CC laughed. "Didn't you know? He's a local." Lu's eyes widened. "Really? I guess I don't get out much. Who was the guy on the piano? He was fantastic." CC looked over at the two musicians. "That's Pete Cortlandt. His mother is married to Hank." Lu's eyebrows raised. "Really? Well, hopefully we'll get to hear more of him, he's really talented." CC smiled and put her arm on Lu's shoulder. "Lu, its really great to see you! You don't get up to Port Charles often enough." Lu smiled. "I was there during Christmas, that was enough for me. Besides, Enchantment has been keeping me pretty busy. Greenlee Smythe is quite the slave driver. She says she learned the management technique from her mentor, Erica Kane." CC nodded. "I've met Erica. She wants me to organize a party for her daughter, Bianca. She is definitely very focused." Lu cocked her head. "Is the party to celebrate Bianca opening up the new halfway house?" CC nodded. "She's very proud of her daughter's achievements." Lu raised one eyebrow. "I wish I had a mother like that. Mine never says word one about my job." CC shook her head. "You crack me up, Lu. You deliberately go to work for Deception's biggest rival, and then marvel that Laura doesn't acknowledge it? Come off it." Lu laughed. "You never pull any punches, do you CC?"  
  
James Martin came up to them, hearing the last comment. "I certainly hope not. We're all crossing our fingers that this year's Crystal Ball lacks the usual mayhem." Lu elbowed him in the ribs. "Hey Jamie, how's my favorite corporate lawyer?" James blocked her elbow. "Doing fine, Lulu" James smiled at CC and held out his hand. "My name is James Martin." CC smiled and shook his hand. "I'm CC Collins." Lu looked mortified. "Oh geez, I'm sorry. I just assumed you two knew each other. Jamie is Brooke's son, and I just figured since you've spent time with her and Edmund planning the ball, you would have run into each other." James shook his head. "No, I tend to make myself scarce when the time comes around for planning the ball or else they rope me into doing something." CC laughed. "Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore. They give me a general idea for a theme, and I do all the planning. No volunteers needed." James grinned. "Splendid! Well, hopefully you can break this curse that something dramatic happens at every Crystal Ball."  
  
Ironically, it was then that it happened. Lorenzo Santos was shot in the back by an unknown assassin. No one knew where the shot originated, everyone was too riveted by the sight of Lorenzo sliding into a heap on the floor, and his mother Hayley letting out a blood-curdling scream. She was the first to see it because she was admiring her son dancing with his aunt Colby. They made a handsome pair and were quite adept on the dance floor. Colby had been giving him lessons in ballroom dancing, and his grace seemed to almost match hers - which was saying a lot since she was a prima donna ballerina. The gun must have had a silencer, because it made no noise. It took a moment for Hayley to understand just what happened. One second Lorenzo and Colby were twirling around the dance floor, the next moment he was sliding to the floor, blood pouring out of a wound in his back. Colby looked bewildered, thinking perhaps he had fainted for some reason. But the sight of Hayley flying across the room, a look of horror on her face, made Colby realize that something was very wrong. It was then that she saw the blood, and her screams mingled with Hayley's. Mateo, who had been chatting with Edmund, saw his wife sprinting across the room, and took off after her. When he reached her, she was prostrate on the floor beside her son. Mateo demanded that someone call 911, but CC had already whipped out her cell phone and placed the call.  
  
David Hayward pushed his way to the front of the crowd and examined Lorenzo. He determined that the bullet had missed his heart, and that they needed only to stop the bleeding until the ambulence arrived. Without saying a word, Colby ripped away the excess fabric of her ball gown, handing it to David to stop up the wound. Hayley was babbling. "I knew this job was going to get him killed! I knew it!" Colby looked at Mateo, eyes wide. "Why would she think managing SOS has something to do with this?" Mateo thought quickly. He certainly couldn't tell the truth, that his son just recently joined the WSB. The identity of agents were kept secret for as long as possible. "Um…well, SOS has been the target of criminals for a long time now. She probably thinks this is another mob or drug hit." Colby nodded silently. That was certainly true.  
  
Standing nearby, Maddie Grey overheard the conversation with great interest. She whispered to her brother, Sam. "I think Mateo is lying." Sam looked at her in surprise. "But it's true that SOS has been the target of criminals. Remember Proteus." Maddie shook her head. "That's not what I meant. I think he was deliberately misleading her. Hayley wasn't referring to Lorenzo's job at SOS. She was talking about some other job." Sam raised one eyebrow. "Is that one of your reporter's hunches?" Maddie nodded. "Lorenzo was shot for some other reason, and I want to find out the truth. What do you think?" Sam put his arm around his sister. "Well, as managing editor of Tempo, I give you my blessing. But as your brother, I say please, please, please be careful."  
  
Llanview  
  
New Years at the Manning house was much less eventful, which was saying a lot. Starr spent half the evening complaining that The Sentinel had scooped The Sun on yet another story. "That damned Mic Corinthos is such a thorn in my side! What I wouldn't give to grind his newspaper into the ground." Todd put his arm around his daughter. "You know what you need? A mole." Starr frowned. "I already have one, daddy. His name is Mr. Magoo." Todd paused, as he realized what she meant. "No, I don't mean one of your twisted little pets. You need someone to infiltrate his organization, and leak information back to The Sun." Starr's eyes lit up at the idea. Blair protested. "Todd! Why must you teach her such underhanded methods?" He looked taken aback. "You expect me to die without passing on my vast knowledge to my offspring? What else is parenting for?" Blair sighed and rolled her eyes. "Well at least you haven't corrupted Jack." She beamed at Jack, who beamed back. Todd and Starr looked ready to barf.  
  
Starr took the opportunity to needle her brother. "Ah yes, the angelic Jack, with aspirations to become a doctor and save the world from disease and pestilence. Meanwhile he spends his time working at General Hospital, emptying bedpans and mopping up puke." Todd rubbed his hands on his face. "Must I be reminded that my son is working as a janitor when I could buy and sell that damned hospital?" Jack sighed. "Dad, you know I took that job so that I can have influential contacts when it comes time to apply to medical school." Todd glared at him. "I can buy you an influential contact!" Jack shook his head. "Dad, you know I don't want to achieve my career that way." Todd made a face. Jack cleared his throat. "I have run into some very interesting people there. For instance, I've met Mic Corinthos." Starr looked up quickly, then immediately tried to hide her interest. "So you've met the little weasel. Is he anything like Tavi?" She was referring to her pet ferret, Rikki Tikki Tavi.  
  
Jack smiled, now that he knew he had her attention. "Actually, he is the complete opposite of a little weasel. He's tall, good looking, and very suave. All the nurses, and many of the doctors were quite bowled over by him. I bet he's quite the ladies man." Starr snorted. "And I bet they're all empty headed bimbos, too." Jack tutted. "Casting aspersions on someone else's love life when your own is nonexistent?" Starr's eyes flared in fury. "You're one to talk, Mr. Celibate!" They got into a yelling match, which greatly amused Todd, but distressed Blair. "Stop it, both of you!" They eventually calmed down. Blair cleared her throat. "Jack, I noticed Matt Rappaport leaving when I came home today. I didn't know you two were friends." Jack nodded. "We knew each other in high school – we were in band together." Starr let out a guffaw, but was silenced by a look from Blair. "Anyway, he's starting a new band, and asked if I would be the drummer. I said I would think about it. Sounds pretty cool to me. He wants to call the band Dream Weaver, and play hard rock with a slightly retro feel." Everyone was silent in surprise. Jack went on. "I told him that there's a very successful record company in Port Charles called L&B – they've signed a lot of famous musical artists. He was very excited when he heard that, so he'll be coming to visit me when school starts again."  
  
Starr punched his arm. "Well, well bro. If you make it big, don't forget it was your sister that started you on the path to fame." Jack laughed. "Yeah, you were the one who encouraged me to start drumming." Todd's eyes flew to Starr. "We have you to blame for that? I should make you pay for all the cotton I had to stuff in my ears!" Blair frowned thoughtfully. "Didn't you tell Matt that you plan to be a doctor? If the band does make it big, you'd have to ditch them to finish your studies." Jack shrugged. "I told him. The way he figures it, he'll be the star of the band. If other members have to be replaced, its not a tragedy. He just wants to hire on some talented people right now, and doesn't care if they aren't committed for the long haul." Todd folded his arms. "Sounds like Matt has quite an inflated ego. I hope Sam and Nora know about this. Heh heh."  
  
Blair looked out the window. "I wonder what's keeping River. He should have been here by now. I was hoping he could celebrate the New Year with us." Starr put her arm around her mother. "Mom, you know River hasn't been himself ever since Cassie and Andrew died." Blair folded her arms. "But its been three years! He's so determined to brood." Starr shrugged one shoulder. "I guess he hasn't told you the latest?" Blair shook her head. "Well, he recently decided that he wants to find his birth parents. For some reason he doesn't think Beth Garvey was really his mom. He seems convinced that there is some big secret to his identity. So he hired a private investigator to do some digging." Todd looked concerned at this piece of news, but quickly covered his alarm.  
  
Port Charles  
  
Mic Corinthos held a New Year's Eve get-together at his penthouse apartment. The first to show up was his good friend Maxie. She kissed him on the cheek. "Hey, kiddo, how ya doing?" He rolled his eyes, deciding not to comment on the kiddo remark. "Didn't you say you were bringing a date?" She took off her coat and sighed. "He bailed on me. Apparently there's some emergency he needs to take care of." Mic looked at her sympathetically. "Let me guess…your date was Lucky and he's off to save the world again?" Maxie laughed. "You don't have to give me the pity look. Its been a long, long time since any attention he's paid to me has actually mattered. I just look on him as a friend. If we go out together, fine. If not, no loss. He's too much like his father for me to take him seriously anymore." Mic put his arm around her. "I am so glad to hear that. It drove me crazy the way you looked up to that Peter Pan." Maxie looked around. "So where is your date?" Mic put his hands in his pockets. "I decided to go solo tonight. I want to concentrate on my hosting duties, and most of the women I date tend to demand a lot of attention." Maxie raised one eyebrow. "That's because you tend to date self-absorbed bimbos." Mic smirked. "Tell me what you really think, Maxie." Maxie shook her head. "If I thought you were really interested in any of them, I would have more tact. But you don't care one bit. You're just sowing your wild oats." Mic shrugged. "Well, I'm too young to settle down. I just want to have a bit of fun. I don't want to give the false impression that I'm ready for a serious relationship, so I don't date women that are seeking one." Maxie nodded. "That's very noble of you, Mic. Just don't use that excuse for too long, or it will start to smell."  
  
The doorbell rang. Maxie laughed at Mic's relieved expression as he went to answer it. Jet and Brook walked into the room. Brook hugged Mic. "Man, am I glad to be here. We were just over at the Quartermaine mansion, and couldn't stand another minute." Mic laughed and looked over at Jet. "Does that family ever stop bickering?" Jet rolled his eyes. "It's a labor of love for them, especially during holidays. Hopefully we have until Fourth of July before the next serious blowup." Maxie hugged Brook. "Does your father still try and play referee?" She nodded. "Gatekeeper is the term he likes. And yes, he was right in the middle of it all. I am so glad that is one trait I didn't inherit." Maxie laughed. "That's true. Instead you inherited your mother's inability to put up with crap." Brook nodded enthusiastically. "Thank you, mom!" Mic passed out some drinks. "That trait has served you well in the music business, hasn't it?" Brook sat on the couch. "Oh yes. You wouldn't believe what these 'artists' try to get away with. Dad is great at spotting talent, but he doesn't know how to handle them. Kristina helped him out with that for awhile, but then her own singing career took off."  
  
The doorbell rang again, signalling the arrival of Lucas, Georgie, and Jadzia. Maxie stood up to greet them. "Hey, who said you all had the night off? Why aren't you at Deception working?" Georgie and Jadzia giggled, but Lucas looked concerned. "Maxie, I did want to stay and crunch some numbers, but Georgie wouldn't take no for an answer." Georgie slapped his arm. "Lucas, she was kidding! Sheesh! You know Maxie better than that." Lucas looked uncomfortable. "Well, I figured she was kidding about you two, since you're the models. But I have to make sure the financial statements are in order for year end." Georgie gave a long suffering sigh and gave a pleading look to Maxie. "Will you please tell him that the numbers aren't going anywhere? That they'll be waiting patiently for him when he gets back to the office in two days?"  
  
Maxie scrutinized Lucas, and waved him over to a corner to talk privately. "This isn't about the financial statements, is it?" Lucas looked uncomfortable. "I just want Deception to look as good as possible on the annual report." Maxie put her hand on his arm. "It will! The new Face to Face campaign has been a huge success. Thanks to Georgie and Jadzia, the sales are rolling in. No, I think this is about the fact that you just didn't want to come to the party." Lucas folded his arms, not saying anything. Maxie shook her head. "We've known each other too long for you to fool me. I think Georgie knows the truth too, but she is too gracious to call you on it. You can't let your diabetes keep you from enjoying life. Bobbie raised you better than that." Lucas sighed. "You're right, I know you're right. Its been hard for me, Maxie. Ever since that episode a few years ago…" Maxie gripped his arm. "You have to get past that. You are surrounded by people who love you, and will do everything they can to help you in a crisis situation." Lucas took a deep breath and nodded.  
  
Jadzia flopped onto the couch beside Jet. "Hey Jet, do you have anymore openings in your class?" Jet raised one eyebrow. "You want to learn martial arts?" She nodded. "I think it would be very beneficial, now that I'm living in the dorm. I get a lot of guys coming up to me, and I want to feel safe and in control. Plus I think it will help me to relieve stress and learn discipline. I've got a real tough semester coming up." Jet nodded. "I think I can fit in one more person. I'll let Tommy know, he teaches the class with me. He fills in when I go out of town." Jadzia cocked her head. "Do you go out of town much?" Jet shrugged one shoulder. "Yeah, I like to travel. So what do you parents think about you living in the dorm?" Jadzia rolled her eyes. "They'll get over it. I just pointed out to them that Wyndemere isn't exactly convenient to campus. I really stopped mom in her tracks when I asked her if she lived with Grandma Flo when she was my age." They laughed. Jet's cell phone rang, and he excused himself and went out on the balcony.  
  
It was a call from Mateo Santos. Lorenzo had been shot while at the Crystal Ball. He was at the hospital, in critical condition. "You think this had something to do with the WSB?" He heard Mateo sigh on the other end. "We're pretty sure. Anna Devane believes it was so expertly handled that it had to be DVX. We never even got a look at the assassin. He or she disappeared without a trace." Jet swore softly. Lorenzo joined the Bureau only two months ago. He felt the guilt flood him. He was the one who recruited Lorenzo. "I know what you're thinking, Jet, and you can forget about it. Lorenzo would have joined the WSB with or without your endorsement." Jet decided not to comment. "I'll let my parents know. I'm sure mom will want to be there for Hayley." He hung up and called Jax and Skye, letting them know the news. They agreed to fly out first thing in the morning.  
  
Jet came back into the penthouse, and told Mic that he needed to leave – a family emergency. When he opened the door, he bumped into Serena, who had just arrived. She came in and waved to everyone. "How are my two favorite clients?" she asked, referring to Mic and Maxie. Mic laughed. "Not getting into any legal trouble, if that's what you're worried about." Serena nodded and took off her coat. "Good, I'm off the clock tonight." Mic looked at his watch. "Speaking of clocks, its almost midnight. There's only two of us men, and five women. Better practice your pucker, Lucas. We have a lot of ladies to satisfy." Brook threw a sofa pillow at him. "In your dreams, Corinthos!" 


	3. Encounters

Chapter 2  
  
Pine Valley  
  
Jax, Skye and Jet arrived at the hospital, and were directed to the waiting room at ICU. When Skye saw Hayley, she gave her a big hug. Jax asked Mateo for an update on Lorenzo's condition. "He's in stable condition. We were fortunate that Doctor Hayward was there or it could have been worse. He should be back in business in no time." Mateo saw Jet listening in, and put his hand on his shoulder. "He's going to be just fine. You can go see him, if you like, as soon as Colby comes out." Jet nodded silently. He sat down to wait. After awhile, Colby came out of Lorenzo's room. Jet jumped up and walked over to her. "How is he?" Surprised to see her nephew from Port Charles, she tossed her hair. "It's good to see you too, Jet. You are so right, it has been a long time." Jet frowned in bewilderment, then realized her meaning. "I apologize for not formally greeting you, Colby. But now is not the time for games." She lifted her chin. "Lorenzo is doing fine. He could probably use some cheering up. Are you capable of that?" He glared at her, and went into the room.  
  
Lorenzo saw Jet, and gave a weak smile. "I'm glad you came, cousin. But I'm not quite ready for my next assignment yet." Jet smiled in spite of himself. "DVX must know you'll be a terrific agent. Why else would they want to eliminate you right off the bat?" Lorenzo attempted a laugh, but it hurt too much. "Are you going to try and capture who did this?" Jet sat down. "I would love to, but the WSB won't allow it. They say I could not be objective. They'll assign someone else to the case." Lorenzo nodded thoughtfully. "But they do think it is DVX?" Jet shrugged. "Anna seems convinced of it. But I have my doubts. It could have been a DVX agent, but perhaps not acting on DVX orders. Its just not their style to execute WSB agents unless its during an operation. I've long suspected that there's a double agent in the Bureau who is becoming increasingly sloppy. The assassin could be that same double agent, and he or she is afraid of being found out." Lorenzo looked surprised. "Found out by me?" Jet nodded. "What was your most recent assignment?" Lorenzo opened his mouth to reply, and then narrowed his eyes. "I thought you said you were't assigned to this case?" Jet smiled sheepishly. "Okay, okay. No more interrogations. I will let you rest. Please take care of yourself." Lorenzo nodded and closed his eyes.  
  
Jet left the room, and was confronted by Colby again. "I didn't know you and Lorenzo were close." He shrugged. "We are." He was a man of few words. "So do you still teach at that martial arts school?" He nodded. "Yes." She tried not to look annoyed. "Do you have any plans for it?" He frowned. "Plans?" Colby felt a headache coming on. "Yes, plans. For instance, do you think you will buy it from the owner? Or perhaps open your own school, turn it into a franchise, whatever?" He laughed. "Why would I do that? I enjoy teaching, so I will continue to teach." She was amazed. "Don't you have any ambition? Any desire to make something of yourself?" Jet folded his arms. "I have made something of myself. I teach martial arts to those who want to learn." She shook her head. "But you could do so much more! Are you even aware of who your parents are? Two very successful business people with gobs of money, power, and fame. Don't you want to take advantage of the choices your upbringing has offered you? You could do anything you wanted. Anything!" Jet cocked his head and smiled. "You do not even realize that you are arguing my position. Let's imagine for a moment that Jax and Skye did not adopt me. Imagine that a poor fish merchant in China adopted me instead. It is highly likely that my only career option would have been to become a fish merchant like my father. I would have been miserable, of course."  
  
Colby nodded. "Of course! Because you wouldn't have had a choice." He smiled again. "Exactly. But I did not grow up without choices. I grew up in a rich family where I can have anything I want, supposedly." She frowned. "Supposedly?" Jet spread his hands. "Supposedly. Without money, there are no expectations because there are no choices. But with money comes choices, and also expectations. Everyone expects me to become just like my parents, a successful business man with gobs of money, power and fame. But if I did what everyone expects, I would be just as miserable as if I had become a fish merchant. What I want to do is teach martial arts. That is what I am doing. Period." He walked away, leaving Colby behind to fume in silence. She wondered why she harped on him about his career choice. She didn't care what he did. It wasn't like she followed in her father's footsteps. She was doing what she wanted – she was a ballerina. Maybe it was because when she looked in his eyes, she saw someone who was very dynamic. Someone who could set her…um…the world on fire. It just seemed to annoy her that he wasn't living up to what she saw in him.  
  
Llanview  
  
Starr sat on her bed, deep in thought. She watched the tarantula crawl up her arm. "So what do you think Fuzzy Feet? Who should I pick to be a mole at The Sentinel?" She sighed. "I know, I know. Who am I kidding? Of course I'm the best person for the job." The spider crawled onto her chest and down her belly. "I don't think it would be a problem. Mic Corinthos would never suspect who I am. Everyone still thinks that Daddy runs the newspaper. Its his way of shielding me from the harrassment of angry constituents. And there are very few photos of Jack and I in circulation – Daddy is very concerned about privacy. If I infiltrate The Sentinel, I seriously doubt anyone would have the remotest clue who I am." Fuzzy Feet had reached her knee by this point. "Besides, it would allow me to spend more time with Jack. I know, I know. Why would I care about spending time with my bratty little brother? Well, I'll tell you why. He may be annoying, but he is family. And I do love him. Don't go spreading that around, though." She picked up Fuzzy Feet and put him back in his habitat. "Sorry to leave you, bud. I have a wedding to attend."  
  
It wasn't really a wedding. Asa Buchanan was renewing his vows with his wife, Renee. It was a grand affair, planned to perfection by CC Collins. The guests had a marvelous time, and in between bouts of bickering, the happy couple seemed to enjoy it too. Matt and Jack stood over by the refreshment stand, surveying the crowd. "Hey, did you see the babe who organized the event?" Jack shook his head. "She would take your breath away. I could write a song about her." Jack grinned. "She'd probably love that. Chicks dig that sort of thing." A deep voice behind them responded. "True, but if you write too many songs for too many chicks, they no longer seem to appreciate the sentiment." Jack and Matt turned around to see River Carpenter standing there. Jack clapped him on the back. "Coz! Great to see you! Mom will be thrilled that you came." River rolled his eyes. "Isn't she occupied enough with clucking over you and Starr? Must she play mother hen to me, also?" Jack shrugged. "Hey, she cares. Would you rather that no one gave a damn about you?" River looked at the ceiling. "A man can dream, can't he?"  
  
Matt rapped his hand against Jack's shoulder. "Speaking of dreaming, here she comes." CC Collins walked over to the refreshment table, perusing the offerings to see if anything needed replenishing. She saw the three men watching her, and smiled. River was struck by how dazzling it was. A ray of sunshine that his life had not seen in a very long time. He glanced at Matt and Jack, who didn't move a muscle. Adopting a devil-may-care attitude, he strolled over to CC. "My two young friends would like very much to meet you, but they are too caught up in the first strains of puppy love. I decided to take pity on them and make the introductions." CC raised one eyebrow. Matt heard River's words and glared daggers at him. Seeing Matt's ire, Jack squelched his desire to laugh. He grabbed Matt's arm and drug him over to River and CC. River continued, "My name is River Carpenter. This is Matt Rappaport and Jack Manning." CC smiled again. "I'm Christina Collins. But you can call me CC."  
  
River nodded. "CC, it's a pleasure. You may be interested to know that Matt and Jack are starting up a band. What are you calling it? In Your Dreams, or something like that?" Matt gritted through his teeth. "Its called Dream Weaver." He smiled at CC. "I'm the lead singer, and Jack will be playing the drums. We're still searching for a keyboard player and guitarist." CC tilted her head. "I know a very talented pianist, but he lives in Pine Valley." Matt raised his eyebrows. "Does he play rock music?" CC nodded. "He's very versatile. He ultimately wants to become a jazz pianist, but he's willing to get started any way that he can." Matt was excited now. "Can you give me his phone number? I'd love to meet him." She smiled and pulled out her daytimer. She found Pete Cortlandt's number, and wrote it down for Matt. He flashed her a smile. "This is so cool! Thanks!" Annoyed that Matt was getting all the attention, River reclaimed the conversation. "So, CC, how is it that you know Asa and Renee?" She focused her beautiful eyes back on him. "I don't really know them. Renee hired me to organize their vow renewal. I'm an event planner." River looked thoughtful. "I've been to a number of events here in town and I don't recall seeing you before. Are you new to the business?" She shook her head. "I've been doing this a couple of years. I travel around to various towns. I am new to Llanview. This is my first event here, and I hope to have more."  
  
River hid his disappointment that she wasn't a local. "Where do you live when you aren't travelling?" "Port Charles, New York." Jack's face lit up. "Hey, I go to school there!" CC smiled at him. "Really? PCU?" Jack nodded. "I'm an undergraduate right now, premed. I want to be a doctor." CC nodded. "PCU has a great medical school that works closely with General Hospital. I wish you well." Matt horned in. "I'll be heading up to Port Charles with Jack. When we get the band together, we want to audition for L&B Records." CC nodded again. "Good choice. They've backed some great musicians, and are very fair with their contracts. Again, I wish you well." She smiled at the three men. "Well, I have to make my rounds. Its been nice meeting you all." She started to turn away, and River put his hand on her shoulder. "Um…CC. Do you have a business card you could give me? In case I ever want to plan an event, or know of someone who needs your services." She flashed her dazzling smile again, and pulled out her day timer. She extracted a card and handed it to him. As he took it, their fingers brushed. He couldn't be sure, but he thought maybe her cheeks turned a slightly darker shade of pink. He was having trouble breathing. He smiled slowly. "Thank you very much, CC." She nodded and walked briskly away. 


	4. Interviews

Chapter 3  
  
Pine Valley  
  
Maddie Grey walked into ICU, carrying a bouquet of flowers. She saw Hayley come out of a room that she assumed was Lorenzo's. Maddie squared her shoulders and walked up to her. "Hello Hayley. I'm here representing Brooke and Edmund. They wanted to come visit Lorenzo, but had to fly out unexpectedly to see Laura. Would it be okay for me to see him?" Hayley smiled and nodded. "He's very much up to visitors. If he had nothing to do he would go stark raving mad." Maddie laughed and went into Lorenzo's room. Lorenzo smiled politely. He knew Maddie, but not very well. "These are from Brooke and Edmund. They felt bad that you were this year's victim of the annual Crystal Ball disaster." Lorenzo smiled ruefully. "Well, I'm glad that these upheavals don't deter them from throwing the ball. Its for such a good cause." Maddie nodded. "Edmund was very concerned that security wasn't tight enough. Do you know if it was just some random lunatic or was someone really after you, specifically?" Lorenzo looked at her speculatively. "I'm sure the people investigating the incident would know more than I." Maddie nonchalantly picked at a flower. "Not necessarily. Surely you would know if someone wanted to kill you." Lorenzo grinned. "Hey, don't call me Shirley." She looked up, bewildered. "Huh?" Lorenzo supressed a laugh. "You are always so serious, Maddie. You need to loosen up." She blinked. "I can be loose. This just happens to be a serious situation. Don't you want to know who did this to you?" Lorenzo tried to shrug, but thought better of it. "Of course I do. But I'm leaving it up to the authorities." Maddie hid her frustration. "I would have thought you'd be more like your parents." Lorenzo was surprised at this. "What do you mean?" Maddie stood up and paced the room. "Your parents have been in danger on a number of occasions and they never left it to the cops to try and figure things out." Lorenzo shook his head. "That's because they wanted to end the danger. I don't think I have anything to worry about." Maddie stared at him incredulously. Either he was incredibly naïve or he was lying through his teeth. She knew it had to be the latter. Which meant she wasn't getting anything more out of him. She smiled sweetly. "Well, I certainly hope that's true. I better get going. May you heal quickly."  
  
Maddie walked out, almost running into her brother Sam. She looked at him in surprise. "Sam, what are you doing here?" He steered her to a more private location. "I'm here because I knew I'd find you here. You're starting the investigation of Lorenzo, aren't you?" She was puzzled. "Well, of course. We talked about it the other day." He glared at you. "Have you forgotten that you haven't turned in the expose on the Deception/Enchantment rivalry?" She rolled her eyes. "No, of course not. But this is way more important, I can feel it." Sam paced back and forth. "Be that as it may, you need to finish your other story first. I've got a big space for it reserved in the next issue." She protested. "But…" He shook his head. "No buts! You are not to start your new story until I have the article on my desk. Do you understand me?" She sighed in frustration. "Yes. You will get your precious article." Maddie made a mental note to pass it off to some flunkie to finish. There was no way she was delaying her investigation.  
  
Pete entered the Glamorama and spotted his mother in the midst of cutting a young woman's hair. He paused a moment to admire her beauty, and then strolled over. "Hey mom!" Opal gave him a dazzling smile. "Hey, my sweetie! How you doin?" He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I am doing great." Opal indicated her client. "Lu, I'd like you to meet my son, Pete. Pete, this is one of my favorite clients, Lu Spencer. She has the most gorgeous naturally curly hair I have ever seen." Lu blushed and Pete winked at her. Pete turned back to his mother. "I have some great news. I'm going to audition for a band." Opal gasped. "That's wonderful! Oh, you'll knock their socks off, I just know it! So who are the other band members?" Pete sat down on a vacant chair. "Matt Rappaport is the lead singer, and Jack Manning is the drummer. They're still looking for a keyboard player and guitarist CC Collins is the one who referred them to me. She met them while she was organizing a party in Llanview." Lu's ears perked up at the mention of CC. Opal looked disappointed. "You mean they aren't locals? Are you going to Llanview for the audition?" Pete swiveled around in his chair. "Actually I'll be doing the audition in Port Charles, NY. That's where Jack goes to school, and also where the record company they want to sign with is located."  
  
Lu spoke up. "I'm from Port Charles! I grew up there." Pete smiled at her. "Oh really? Small world. What brought you to Pine Valley?" Lu liked his smile. "I wanted to work for the best cosmetics company in the world. Enchantment!" Opal grinned. "This little gal's got great taste, doesn't she? And from what Erica's told me, she is quite an asset to the company." Pete gazed at Lu. "Well, I guess Port Charles's loss is Pine Valley's gain." Lu blushed again. "Same to you. In reverse, I guess. Good luck with your audition. I don't think you'll need it though. You were fantastic at the Crystal Ball." Pete beamed at the compliment. "Well, if I do make the band, I hope you'll arrange a trip back to your hometown to see me play." Lu nodded. "That would actually be an incentive for me. I'll have Opal keep me informed." Pete kissed his mother again. "I have to go pack, mom. I'll let you know how it goes." Opal gave him a hug. "You be careful now. Break a piano leg!" Pete laughed and then left. Lu gazed after him thoughtfully. She would definitely have to visit Port Charles again.  
  
Port Charles  
  
Mic Corinthos took the elevator down to human resources. He needed to talk to them concerning a complaint about one of his employees. He flashed a smile at the receptionist, who tried not to swoon. "Who handles the file for John Evans?" She looked it up on her chart. "That would be Janice Townsend." He nodded. "Is she available right now?" The receptionist shook her head. "She's interviewing somebody for the copy editor position. It shouldn't be too much longer, though." He thought it over. "I'll wait." He walked over to a chair and sat down. Most of HR was out to lunch, so he was able to hear the interview going on in Janice's cubicle. "Now, Jill, according to your resume, you haven't worked since you graduated college four years ago. Is that correct?" A strong, confident, yet feminine voice responded. "Yes, Ms. Townsend, that is correct. Not long after I graduated my grandmother became very ill, and I decided to stay home and care for her. Both of my parents had to work hard to pay the medical bills, and they couldn't afford a nurse to stay home and care for her. So I offered to care for her, in exchange for room and board. It took up all my time and energy." Mic heard some sympathetic noises. "So is your grandmother well now?" There was a short pause, and he thought he heard a little sniffling. "No, actually, she died a month ago." More sympathetic noises. "I'm so sorry, Jill." Another sniff. "She's in a better place now, no longer suffering. And now I have the opportunity to pursue a career in journalism." There was some shuffling of papers. "You do realize that I couldn't give you the type of position and salary that other journalists four years out of college usually make." "Oh of course! I understand that I have to start at the bottom and work my way up. Believe me, I am up to the task of proving myself." More paper shuffling. "Sounds good. We will get back to you one way or another about the position. Thank you for coming in today." The sounds of chairs scraping. "Thank you, Ms. Townsend, for taking the time to see me."  
  
The two women emerged from the cubicle. Mic stood up to greet them. The interviewee, Jill, had shoulder-length shiny brown hair, twinkling brown eyes, and an expressive face. Her lips were full, and she was very lean, probably athletic. She wasn't what one would call strikingly beautiful, but she was definitely very attractive. Mic was amazed to realize that his body was responding to her. She stopped in her tracks when she saw him, her eyes slightly widening before schooling her features into polite interest. Janice looked surprised. "Oh, Mr. Corinthos, I didn't know you were out here. He grinned at her. "Didn't I tell you to call me Mic?" She blushed slightly. "Of course. I know you want all your employees to be on a first name basis with you. Mic, this is Jill Hartman, who is here interviewing for the copy editor position. Jill, this is the owner and editor-in-chief of The Sentinel, Michael Corinthos." Mic smiled his most dazzling smile and held out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Jill."  
  
Starr stared at his hand for a brief moment, surprised that she was meeting Mic Corinthos himself. So this was the man she had been bitching about for the last year. Certainly an unexpected development. Oh, who was she kidding? She hesitated because she had never met a more devastatingly attractive man in her entire life. Jack had apparently not been exaggerating. When she realized that she had hesitated too long, she took his hand, pretending that she had been intimidated by his position. "The owner and editor-in-chief? Wow! Gosh! Nice to meet you, sir!" Damn, he had the most amazing handshake. She felt like she had stuck her finger in a light socket. And she was very familiar with that sensation. She looked down, feigning shyness, so she wouldn't have to stare into his incredible eyes. She needed to end this now. "Thank you for the interview, Ms. Townsend." She pulled her hand out of Mic's and sidled towards the door. Janice smiled at her. "You're welcome. We'll be in touch!" Starr nodded and hurried out the door.  
  
Mic gazed at her retreating form. There was something about her that didn't jive. She carried herself with confidence and self-assurance, but when they were introduced, she had acted all flustered. He turned back to Janice. "Well, is she a likely candidate for the job?" Janice nodded. "Sure. Most of our recruits don't become available until the summertime after graduation. She's actually our first real nibble." He'd like to nibble on her, Mic thought, and then tried to concentrate. "Splendid. Um..I came down to speak with you about an employee…" 


	5. Small World

[author's note: after having set most of the stories in motion, I remembered a significant detail which could cause problems – Lorenzo and Maddie are first cousins. So I have decided to revise history, and pretend that Alex Devane is really Maddie's mother - not Maria Santos - and that Maddie was raised by her mother and her uncle Dimitri in Europe.]  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Pine Valley Hospital  
  
Jet walked into the waiting room at the hospital and saw his mother, Skye sitting alone. He sat down beside her. "Is Aunt Hayley in with Lorenzo?" She nodded. "He is doing much better. The doctors say he will probably be able to leave tomorrow." Jet smiled in relief. "Where's dad?" Skye closed the magazine she was reading. "There's a crisis with one of the companies he's trying to buy. He went to deal with it. I'm a little disappointed because Adam gave us tickets to go see Colby perform in the ballet tonight. I don't want to go by myself." Jet looked thoughtful. "I'll go with you, if you like. I've never seen Colby perform." Skye's face brightened. "Oh that's wonderful! Thank you so much. I know you'll enjoy it. Ballet is not unlike martial arts when it comes to gracefulness and discipline of the body." Jet smiled in amusement. "I never thought about it before, but I suppose you are right."  
  
Tempo Magazine  
  
Sam sat at his desk, reviewing the advertising layout for the next issue. There was a timid knock at the door. "Come in!" A young woman shuffled in. Sam recognized her as one of the summer interns from the journalism school. He smiled. "Cathy, how may I help you?" She shyly extended her arm, a sheaf of papers clutched in her hand. "Maddie wanted me to give this to you. It's the final write up on the Enchantment article." Sam beamed. "Splendid! I've been waiting for this. Were you helping her work on this?" Cathy twisted her fingers nervously. She had done more than help Maddie with the article – she had finished it for her. But Sam wasn't supposed to know that. "Um…yeah, I helped some." Sam grinned. "I remember when I was an intern and I first helped out with an article. It felt really good. I felt like I was a part of something." Cathy smiled hesitantly. "Sure, a part of something. Well, I gotta go." She beat a hasty retreat from the office. Sam raised one eyebrow. The girl was definitely skittish. He glanced down at the article and started reading.  
  
Llanview – The Manning Mansion  
  
Blair sat on the sofa dejectedly. Todd looked up from his newspaper. "What's the matter with you?" She looked forlorn. "What do you think is the matter with me? Both of my babies are gone. Jack is back in school for the semester, and Starr is off on that spy mission. I can't believe you encouraged her to do that! And you accuse me of warping her." Todd shrugged. "Hey, look at it this way – with both of our kids in the same town, they'll be able to look after each other. I know you've been worrying about what kind of crowd Jack will get into at PCU. Though I have to wonder why – he's spent his whole life being the white sheep of the family. The little goody two shoes." Blair laughed. "Maybe he inherited the dogooder gene from his real parents." Todd paused in turning a page. "Uh, yeah. That's probably it." Blair stood up and paced. "I am glad that Starr will be in Port Charles to look after Jack. And Matt being there is a bonus. He's always been such a good boy." Todd made a face. "Please Blair, don't make me barf. Its almost lunchtime." Blair looked at her watch. "You're right. River should be arriving any minute." Todd's expression became more ugly. "You invited River Rat to lunch?" Blair glared at Todd. "If you call him that again I swear I will knock you upside the head. You are going to be nice to him, whether you like it or not."  
  
The doorbell rang. Blair rushed to answer it. "River! How wonderful to see you!" She gave him a hug, and after a brief hesitation he returned it. "Hello, Aunt Blair." He looked up and saw Todd standing a few feet away. He nodded. "Todd. How are you?" Todd stared at him in contempt, and simply said, "Never better. Well, let's eat." He turned and headed for the dining room. The three sat down to lunch. Blair beamed at River. "Every time I see you, I just marvel at how much you've grown. You are so tall, and so good-looking. I bet you have to fight the girls off with a stick." There was silence as River tried to think of a nonsarcastic response, and Todd attempted to swallow his food so he wouldn't choke on it. River smiled politely at Blair. "Thank you for the compliment. I suppose I got it from my parents, whoever they are." Blair frowned. "Do you still think that Beth Garvey wasn't your real mother?" River shrugged. "I don't know. I suppose its possible. Whether she is or not, it doesn't change the fact that I don't know who my father is." Todd did choke on his food this time. He grabbed his glass of water. "Why are you so bent on this? What would be the point?" River looked at Todd curiously. "You don't think its natural for me to want to know who my real parents are? To know my origins?" Todd waved his hand. "Of course not! All that matters is who raised you. Jack never questions his origins. He's perfectly happy. Besides, good never comes from finding your real folks. I can think of dozens of examples where people totally regretted it. Its like turning over a log and seeing all the bugs and maggots." Blair put down her fork. "Todd! We're eating here! Leave River alone. You don't know what will make him happy or unhappy. Let him do what he wants." Todd shrugged. "Whatever. Just don't say I didn't warn you." He stood up, wiping his face with his napkin. "Look, uh…I have to go make a business call. Nice chatting with you, River."  
  
Port Charles – Kelly's Diner  
  
Matt, Jack, and Peter ordered their food and then sat down at a table. Matt slapped Pete on the back. "Man, I owe CC Collins big time for giving me your name. You are the most talented keyboard player I think I have ever heard." Pete smiled sheepishly. "Hey, I'm very impressed with your talent as well. You're a great singer, and Jack is amazing on the drums. I think this band is gonna rock." Jack grinned. "So this means you're in?" Pete nodded. "If you'll take me." Matt pumped his fist in the air. "Awesome! We are on our way." Pete stood up. "I need to go make a call. I'll be right back." He walked over to a quieter corner of the diner and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed the Glamorama, and smiled when his mother answered. "Mom, its me, Pete! I have some great news. The band liked my performance and invited me to join." He held the phone away from his ear as Opal squealed in delight. "Oh, I'm so happy for you, sweetie! I knew you would do well. Hank will be so proud, he's gonna bust."  
  
Pete heard his mom repeat the news to someone in the background. "Pete, I was just telling Lu the news. You remember she was in the shop before you left? She's here getting her nails done. She has such gorgeous nails, I feel like I'm wasting my time working on them. Anyway, she says congratulations and she hopes you enjoy Port Charles. Where are you right now, honey?" Forgetting the name, Pete glanced at one of the menus. "Kelly's Diner. We were just about to have lunch." Opal repeated the intel to Lu. "Oh well, isn't it a small world. Lu tells me that her father co-owns that place with his sister. Great burgers, she says. Oh, and she also says…well, why don't I just let her tell you herself." There was some crackling noise. Pete heard Lu say something about her nails still drying, and Opal said she would hold the phone to her ear. "Uh….Pete? Are you there?" Pete tried not to laugh. "Yeah, I'm here." Lu cleared her throat. "I just wanted to say that if your band wants a place to perform in front of an audience, my dad's club is a great place to start. Its called Luke's. I can put in a good word for you." Pete smiled. "That would be great, Lu, thanks. I'll tell the guys." There was some more crackling and Opal came back on the line. "Petey, you be sure to tell me when you give your first performance. Hank and I will want to be there for it. Okay?" Pete glanced at his table. "Yeah, sure, mom. I don't know when that will be, they're still looking for a guitarist. I gotta go, our food has arrived. Love you." He hung up and went back to the table. The three men wolfed their food down with great enthusiasm. Pete had to agree, the burgers were fantastic.  
  
Lucas and Georgie walked into the diner and sat down at the table next to the band's. Lucas glanced at the menu, and then stood up. "I'll go order for us, Georgie. What do you want?" Georgie grinned at him. "The usual, of course." Lucas smiled slightly. "Of course." He went over to the counter to give the cook their order. Georgie leaned back in her chair and eavesdropped on the conversation behind her. The three occupants had just finished their food and Matt leaned his elbows on the table, looking purposeful. "Okay guys, our band is almost complete. All we need now is a guitarist. Pete, I don't suppose you know of any?" Pete shook his head. "I know several, but they all have commitments right now." Jack drummed his fingers on the table. "What if I put some advertisements up around campus? I'm sure there are a lot of aspiring guitarists at PCU." Matt snorted. "And most of them are probably terrible. There's gotta be a way to get introduced to a quality musician." A voice behind him piped up. "There is a way. Just turn around and say 'Hi!'" Startled, Matt turned around and gazed into the most gorgeous pair of blue eyes that he had ever seen. The gorgeous eyes accompanied a gorgeous face and an even more gorgeous body. The gorgeous woman was smiling at him. Matt didn't have to glance over at his compadres to know that they were probably just as thunderstruck as he was. The gorgeous woman extended her gorgeous hand. "My name is Georgie Jones, and I'm a very good guitarist. I would be happy to audition for your band." Matt felt like he was dreaming. Was this apparition really telling him that she was a guitarist? And was her name seriously Georgie Jones?  
  
Matt snapped back to reality when a man in a business suit sat down next to gorgeous Georgie and scowled in his direction. She turned to the man and grabbed his sleeve. "Lucas! Guess what? I'm going to audition for a band! Isn't that exciting? I'm excited." She giggled. The man named Lucas shook his head, as if in a fog. Matt could sympathize. "Georgie, why would you audition for a band? You have a modeling career." Matt heard a finger snap behind him. He turned and saw Pete pointing at Georgie. "That's it! Now I remember where I saw you before! You're one of the models for Deception perfumes!" Georgie giggled and nodded enthusiastically. "That's right! You know my work?" Pete shrugged self- consciously. "My mother owns a beauty parlor and she's best friends with the owner of Enchantment cosmetics. She's always pointing out magazine ads from the competition." Georgie gasped. "I know someone who works at Enchantment. Have you ever met Lu Spencer?" Pete smiled and nodded. "As a matter of fact I was just speaking to her on the phone. I called my mom to tell her the news about me joining a band, and Lu was getting her nails done. She told me that we should try and get a gig at her father's club. I believe its called Luke's." Georgie laughed. "What a small world. So when do I get to audition?" Lucas broke in. "Georgie, do you even know these people?" Matt cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, you told us your name, but we haven't introduced ourselves. My name is Matt Rappaport, I'm the lead singer. This is Jack Manning, the drummer. And our newest member is Pete Cortlandt, the keyboard player." Georgie leaned on the back of her chair. "So what's the name of your band?" Matt leaned on his. "Its called Dream Weaver." Georgie sighed her approval. "Oh, I like it. That's a great name." She took a pen out of her purse and wrote on a napkin. "Here's my phone number. Call me when you want me to audition." She handed it to Matt. Lucas rubbed his face with his hands. The tornado that was Georgie had struck again. 


End file.
